Possible New Races

[Intrepid]

Mantis.  They're not impossible to play, all you have to do to get into the mindset of a hivemind is spend eight hours watching a group of young Republicans at work.  Gith are far less socially adjusted, as they act less on a hunting instinct and more on pure malice.  To use the Dark Sun model, even though it's not an exact duplicate, the Thri-kreen (Athasian Mantis) were found in small numbers in every city and almost every village.  Gith were too violent and dangerous to peacefully cohabitate anywhere.  While I realize the material is not exactly the same, if either of these races are anything close to the source material, mantis are more likely to deal with people than gith ever will.

Events can transpire to bring Mantis into trade with humanoids.  They're intelligent creatures and can be reasoned with, perhaps even moreso than Gith.  All that needs to be done is to write the proper rp docs for them and make history.  Mantis can be shrewd bargainers and cunning negotiators (like any good hunters) and could conceivably adopt non-mantis into their "clutch".

Belgoi, Kenku, a mutant race and anything else could possibly be added, but these would be creatures that need some history and reason for prior seclusion, if not ongoing seclusion.  Still, they are possibilities.

[Pantoufle]

Mantis can be shrewd bargainers and cunning negotiators (like any good hunters) and could conceivably adopt non-mantis into their "clutch".

But aren't non-mantis simply food in the eyes of any mantis?

[Intrepid]

But aren't non-mantis simply food in the eyes of any mantis?

I'm glad someone asked that.  They can be, during lean times.  But mantis are less gleeful about eating business associates than halflings.  It tends to be a necessity, like when you're faced with eating nothing and eating your friend Rupert next to you.  This is not to say that there couldn't be isolationistic mantis-supremacist hunters out there who will eat anything and anyone.  But then, mantis could feasibly hunt and eat each other too... :twisted:   They are insects, after all.

Incidentally, there appears to have been some precedent even in Arm for dealings with mantis, as some sporadic trade with the Cai Shyzn has shown up in the timeline.  It didn't last long, but there you go.  Mantis can be reasoned with and bargained with in such a way that does not make you a main course.

[Djarjak]

Didn't dark sun make a distinction between Thri-Kreen and Tohr-Kreen, with one being meditative and prone to psionics, and the other being bestial and hungry?

[Intrepid]

Didn't dark sun make a distinction between Thri-Kreen and Tohr-Kreen, with one being meditative and prone to psionics, and the other being bestial and hungry?

Tohr-kreen were considered High Mantis; more intelligent, more cultured, and yet they ate the candied larva of their young while engaged in polite discussion with others.  I never saw anything indicate that any group was more prone to psionics, however; perhaps a bit of a misnomer, since everyone and their mothers had psionics.  Thri-kreen were more common outside of the Kreen Empire, so people were far more likely to run into them, and they were the primary pc race.  Both groups struck me as bestial and hungry, but the Tohr-kreen seemed to have a more advanced culture and civilization than the Thri-kreen.  They also ruled the Kreen Empire, which was one of the greenest places on Athas not owned by halflings.  It had swamps, rivers and lakes of all things.

Now that I'm remembering it, the only group that had any major problems with Kreen of either stripe were elves, but that was mainly because elves were a delicacy.

[Pantoufle]

I'm glad you bring that up, Intrepid.

I remember playing a few mantis back in the day.  I even went into Allanak and loitered in a tavern there.  In those days the concept was either such that the RP behind mantis was not rigorously enforced or they were supposed to be different than they are now.  It was the same with halflings.  I even remember a halfling PC who owned a wagon and carted around the world, working as a regular merchant.  I didn't mind it the way it was back then.  It's not that they were regular "hobbits", they just weren't so far separated from the other races that the only means of interaction was for PKilling (eating).

I've never understood the obsession behind isolating so many races and tribes just for the purpose of giving them in depth background.  Even the Blackwing tribe, as fun as it was to play in, was so far separated from the rest of the game that it was virtually a different MUD entirely.

I like the concept of mantis you describe.  

[Djarjak]

The problem is, and this is something I still see, that people don't tend to differentiate their role play at all.

When the only difference between a human and a mantis is that one has a carapace, there's an issue from a role playing standpoint.

When the only difference between a human and an elf is pointy ears, there's an issue from a role playing standpoint.

While I agree that having them be physically separated is not as interesting in some cases, there's a distinct problem with munging everyone together in a happy citystate where they can all go to the bar and chat, too.

Sure, there's a middle ground in there. The trick is finding it.

[Intrepid]

While I agree that having them be physically separated is not as interesting in some cases, there's a distinct problem with munging everyone together in a happy citystate where they can all go to the bar and chat, too.

I think you guys had a great idea having gith in Red Storm, actually.  I would even hazard to say that mantis could fit there well too.  If anything, it fits their motif to have them in the Red Storms and Cenyr.  Luirs would have been an ideal option too, but it appears that circumstance might have made that no longer a viable option.

Having them these races in the major cities might be a bit much, but having them on the fringes of the Known World seems like a great idea.

Everyone needs a trading post, after all.

[Pantoufle]

Oh I agree with your sentiments, Djarjak.  I just think a happy medium is the best approach.  I don't think creating HalflingMUD and GithMUD and BlackwingMUD, which is essentially what happened in the past, was any better than humans with carapace called mantis or humans with pointy ears called elves.  It was simply exchanging one extreme for the other.  Arguably, the current non-human races successfully mingle with humans while still being different, though gith/mantis/halfling/etc. are even more dramtic, I realize.  Still, inter-mingling is and should be possible.

Intrepid's idea of limiting these races to the outposts and villages while still being outlawed in the city-states seems like an excellent compromise.  If gith were once accepted in Red Storm (even if it was only certain gith perhaps), I don't see why they couldn't be allowed to return.  Whatever the case, I think something is possible using the currently closed races, rather than inventing new ones.

[Twilight]

Why is everyone assuming they'd have to invent new races?

Maybe they are all out there already, finding trees to sharpen their claws on and nice fertile ground to plant us in.

[Satansfish]

I -really- like the idea of some new species entering from beyond the borders of the known world. I think I like it more as a HRPT than a playable race though, but I dont know what they are yet. On topic, I'd say that I agree, any new race has to be one that can socialize, at least a little, with the main playerbase. As it stands I voted for no new races, as none of the options in current form will accomplish above *points up*

[Me]

NO cat folks please.

Maybe I'm a little biased but I recalled a time when a surge of anime-desced PCs were being sighted in Zalanthia, and it really annoys me with their brilliant pink hair with fat spikes and fuzzy tail waving behind their cute little buttocks.

Maybe the feline race in Zalanthia might be different, however I believe no matter how well writtened a doc is, it still depends entirely on the players themselves in how they play the PC. So, to avoid a horde of anime-fanatics, I'd say no to the fenline folks.

As for the plant people, I kept having this mental image of a walking talking cactus. My err...impression about them are kind of vague. Besides...if they take water for a living...would they be hunted down by other races not for food but for water?

Giths and mantis are cool concept, only it'll be sort of hard to play them without becoming an isolated clan, seeing as to how giths are viewed as PK machines (NPCs anyways) while mantis are...chittering..things that will most probably gobble a traveller up.

I doubt any of those two races would walk into a tavern and start interacting with the people there.

Hence, I would actually fully support mutants seeing as how they were mentioned in the docs however briefly. It would be interesting to see how players RP the race out and perhaps introduce a bit more color into the different cultures in Zalanthia.

[adrien]

NO CATGIRLS IN THE DESERT PLEASE.

ROFL ROFL omg I know  a small story relating to a catgirl in arma

Plant people make me think of Sleestak.

[adrien]

plant people would be a northy race or mantis vally race

[Ryker]

Don't get me wrong I love cat people as much as any bloke, but lets stick to any new playable races (or not, I kinda like it as it is) to races already in game.

[spawnloser]

How do you know that these aren't and you just haven't found them yet?

[Sokotra]

As far as being in the game, all of those races should already be in the game in some aspect or another...

But as far as OPENING those races to public play, I think you have to consider which one would have the most interesting effect on the game world and player base as a whole.

Offhand, I'd say the Gith would be the one to go for.  But then again, I love to play the Mantis and they might give the Desert Elves, and other folks that might be within their range, something interesting to do - more interaction etc.  The feline race would be cool, I'm not "in the know" so I don't know if it has already been fleshed out or evolved within the game/storyline already.... but I've always liked lizardmen/reptilians so maybe a mix between a feline-lizard type race would be more Zalanthan and unique to Armageddon.

The Mutants would be a whole other story, in my opinion... but a cool and interesting addition considering their history in the gameworld as it is already.  It would be interesting (albeit perhaps alot of work) to give mutants (heck, or even a random amount of the population as a whole) a Wild MutantTalent... (random mutation?)

-Wings (allowing a short-distance flight)
-Toothy-maw or clawed appendages (extra bite attack or unarmed slashing damage or burrowing ability?)
-A single psionic/magickal ability of somesort (perhaps more rare)

Just a thought... the list could go on with numerous possiblities - long legs/arms (running or throwing advantage?), huge ears (listening bonus)... etc etc... Heh... yeah, like I said - might be alot of work and I'm sure there would be some disadvantages into doing something like this but it might fit into the game if it wasn't too commonplace or anything.

[Robot Dinosaur Ninja Bast]

I didn't read through the entire thing yet, so this may have already been said... Mutants don't really need a race of their own. Just make a human and run wild with it... have a gander at my current human character, tell me this wouldn't be considered mutant:

 Um.... I dunno if character descriptions would be considered 'IC-sensitive information... but here's the pic I based him off of. And the only differences are:His eyes, and several scars.


http://splatterhouse.classicgaming.gamespy.com/mega-rick2.jpg[/i]

[amish overlord]

How do you know that  there are things out there that could be possible new races?

Amish Overlord  

[FightClub]

I'm not opposed to any of those, variety is awesome.  I'd also like to see some things from like alternate dimensions, or wherever they come, like imps and DEMONS! *has been pumping out too much oblivion*

[path]

Just sounds like these could spark a ton of cool plotlines and fun for all the characters involved, especially the ones that are relatively unknown or as spawnloser mentioned, undiscovered.

Seems like it could be a ton of fun from trade relations to skirmishes, wars, how it would effect slavery, the new cultures. If they were somehow powerful or had some resource previously unknown, it could spark a facinating shift in the entire political structure.

And for those die-hards who love to keep everything the same (I hear you)...if it wasn't working out - I'm sure the staff would phase them out.

I just wanted to say I -highly- approve of this sort of dramatic and interesting change.

[Dakkon Black]

There seems to be a ton of anti catism happening. And though indeed, I'm way opposed to having some kind of anime style cat people running around purring as they rub up against me, I know of feline species in the game right now allready, that are -not- cuddly to play with.

I'm pretty sure the staff isn't planning on suddenly having some stupid race pop up in the middle of the desert and start running everywhere.

I have to admit though, having a solid gith clan and playing within their cultures might be really neat. Though it could devolve into a bunch of pc's running around raiding. Well.. about time I'd say. Roads are too safe for the most part I'd say.

[Pantadon]

I personally like the idea of cactus people... harvesting water and think about this... hallucinogens!  That's right!, water and if people eat some of the cactus or smoke it, they start on a biiiggg trip.  Would be pretty funny seeing someone running around Allanak away from creatures they think are attacking them.

 Bringing the Gith our are a great idea.  I just wish ALL races could be skinned and have clothing made from them.  Some Elven skin boots would look great on my character.

                                    Pantadon

[rufus]

How about a bunch of lizard men who live deep underground, wield polearms, and hate humans and furry cat people?
Anyone see where I'm going?

edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slithzerikai